One Man Army
by Wolfwind97
Summary: Fourteen year old Derrick Treaty, son of Will Treaty, recieves news that every Ranger except for Gilan had been captured.  Derrick decides to find a way to help the Rangers. Will he save them and surpass all the other Rangers? Or will he be defeated?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Ranger's Apprentice fanfic! Constructive criticism is welcome!**

**(Alyss)**

The sun was shining intensely as I walked through the town with one of my friends, Sarah. We had both been so busy lately, so this was the first time both of us could relax. Her daughter, Melody, was walking beside her. Melody was good natured yet adventurous. However, she did not get into a lot of trouble. However, my son, Derrick, was a handful. He gets in people's way all the time and has a temper. Sometimes, I really wonder if he is mine and Will's son. He told me earlier today he was going to hang out with his friends and I only hoped he was not being a troublemaker.

"Alyss, how has Will been lately?" Sarah asked.

I sighed, "He is gone to the Gathering and is supposed to be back in a few days. He has to train some new apprentices in strategy."

Melody looked up with interest filling her eyes, "How many apprentices are there, Lady Alyss?"

I smiled, "I do not know, Melody. In fact, I have never asked."

She nodded her head in understanding. After all, the Rangers are a mysterious group that many thought were black magicians. However, after Will became Halt's apprentice, everybody realized the Rangers were not evil in any way.

"Is that Lady Pauline?" Sarah asked.

Up ahead, I could see Lady Pauline walking toward us with concern showing on her face along with grief. When she reached us, I hugged her, "What is wrong, Lady Pauline?"

She looked at me with tears in her eyes, "Alyss... the Rangers were attacked... Gilan managed to get away and gave us the information. Will and Halt... every Ranger has been taken hostage. They are demanding that we give up th kingdom for their release... The King is thinking only of the kingdom..."

I could not believe what I was hearing. "What are we going to do?"

"There is nothing we can do, Alyss..." She replied.

Tears fell down my face and Sarah hugged both Lady Pauline and I. The grief I felt was overwhelming, but I knew that if I was going to help in any way, I had to keep my composure. I pulled away from Sarah and Lady Pauline, "I am going to talk to the King. This is exactly what happened when Will was captured years ago..." I started to run toward the castle, not caring how informal I looked.

**(Melody)**

I ran deeper into town, looking for Derrick. He needed to know what happened to his father and the other Rangers. Derrick was closer to Will than anybody else, so I knew how tragic this was going to be for him. I found him in a clearing with his friends, laughing with them. I hated to ruin the laughter, but Derrick needed to support Alyss. "Derrick!" He looked at me, "We have to get to the castle right now!"

"What's going on?" He asked.

"I will tell you on the way! Now come on!" I yelled and started running toward the castle. Derrick caught up with me seconds later, "Derrick, it's you father. Him and the other Ranger's were taken hostage. Gilan managed to get away, but the people are wanting the kingdom. If King Duncan does not give them the kingdom, they are going to kill every Ranger. Alyss is at the castle right now, pleading with the king, but it is not looking good. I'm so sorry, Derrick."

He knew I was not lying, "Why are they not doing anything?"

"I do not know anything other than what I just told you." I replied. He started running faster and I could no longer keep up.

**(Baron Arald)**

Alyss and King Duncan were having a legendary argument and I just stood to the side and watched.

"King Duncan, the Rangers are the best fighters, spies, and messengers you have. Why would you just leave them to die?" She yelled.

The king tried to contain his anger, "Alyss, I know Will is your husband, but I would rather lose a few lives then hundreds. It is a Rangers duty to protect the kingdom and that is what they are doing. Their brave actions will always be remembered, but I am afraid my hands are tied."

The door burst open and a boy came rushing in. He ran over and stood beside Alyss and I knew immediately who it was.

"Derrick, please wait outside while your mother and I discuss things." The king said.

The teen shook his head, "No way. I want to know why you are not sending somebody to help my father and the others."

"It is too risky, Derrick. You are only fourteen, therefore these typed of situations are way over your head." King Duncan replied. "If you do not leave, then you will be escorted out."

The boy's hands were clenched into a fist, "You just do not care about them!"

"I care about everyone in this kingdom!"

"You say it is too risky, but you have not even tried to do anything! How can it be risky when you have not attempted to save them?" Derrick yelled.

King Duncan motioned for the guards to take Derrick away. The teen saw this motion and glared at the king. "I thought Halt and my dad were your friends! How can you sit around and do nothing!"

"My hands are tied, Derrick! When you are older, maybe you will understand!" King Duncan yelled, frustrated.

The boy glared at him once more before the guards grabbed him by the arms and lead im out of the room. I felt sorry for both Alyss and Derrick, but I had to obey the king.

"Get out of my sight, Alyss. I never want to talk about this matter again." King Duncan said. Then, Alyss stormed out of the room and yelled at the guards, telling them to release her son. A few seconds later, everything was quiet. The king sat in his chair with a sad look on his face and I knew that the decision he made had been a difficult one.

**(Derrick)**

Anger and sadness coursed through my veins as my mother and I walked back to our cabin. She had tears coming down her face and I put my arm around her shoulders before she eventually broke down. I wanted to kill Duncan and the people who had captured the Rangers, but I had to protect my mother first. When we were in the cabin, my mother hugged me tightly and I hugged her back.

"Everything is going to be okay... Dad and Halt will find a way to get away from those people." No matter what I said, she did not believe me. An hour later, she fell asleep on her bed with tear streaks on her face. I could not watch her suffer like that, but there was nothing I could do. I heard something outside and opened the door. "Tug!" I ran out of the cabin to the pony. He was troubled, shaken, and pleading. I knew that my father had taken Tug to the Gathering with him, so could it be possible that Tug knew which direction they were heading? I knew then, I had a lot of training to do.

***A Week and a Half Later***

Today was the day I would figure out how I was going to live the rest of my life; Choosing Day. We were all lined up in front of the man I now despised, King Duncan, waiting to see who out mentors would be. Melody was first, "I am Melody Green. I wish to apply for the kitchens if I may." She was accepted. After a few more people, I realized it was my turn.

"I am Derrick Treaty. I wish to train as a Ranger."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: School work is a drag...**

**(King Duncan)**

I shook my head, "The Ranger's no longer exist. What is another-"

He cut me off, "The only thing I want to be is a Ranger."

"I'm afraid I can not accept your request." I said.

I could see his blood begin to boil, "They are not dead. Will and Halt will manage to keep everybody alive. Also, Gilan is here with us, so there is at least one Ranger."

"Derrick, for the last time, the Ranger Corps. no longer exist." I replied with anger seeping into my words.

The boy shrugged, "Then I have no reason for staying here." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving everybody in an uncomfortable position.

**(Halt)**

Somebody woke me up from my half sleep and I looked at whoever done it. It was one of the enemies. I wanted to kill him, but my hands were tied behind my back and my ankles were broken. The one thing these people know how to do is take hostages. The man entered slowly and walked around the large room, studying every Ranger. I glared at him when he stood in front of me, but he ignored me. Instead he stood at the front of the room and spoke, "King Duncan has left you for dead, meaning we can kill you at any moment. However, we will let you live a few days longer if you give us information about your kingdom, it's defenses, and how their military strategy works. So, what will it be: life or death?"

We all stayed silent. If these people think they can interrogate us to get information, then they are absolutely wrong. The man snapped his fingers and a few guards seized Ranger Canthers; I only prayed we would see him again. Will was on pins and needles for hours after they took Canthers. "Anxiety is not going to help you in this situation, Will." I said.

He looked at me, "I know, but... I just don't want anybody to get hurt. I mean, we don't even know what is happening and we can not find out either! Not being able to move is torture enough for me."

"Calm down. You were captured once and I bet you had the same thoughts, but you escaped." I stated.

He snorted, "I may not be as lucky this time."

I sighed, "Just think about Alyss and Derrick. You have to get back to Araluen and see them again. Just look forward to that moment."

"Is that what you're doing?" He asked.

I smiled, "Yeah. Just stay calm, Will. Somehow, we will find a way out of here."

"And if we don't?"

I did not answer.

**(Gilan)**

I could not sleep even though I was exhausted. Nightmares plagued my mind while I tried to sleep and the memories invaded when I was awake. _There is no way I can save the others... I know they say one battle, one Ranger, but I just don't know what to do in this situation. _I closed my eyes, but a knock on the door made me nearly jump up. Silently, painfully, I walked over to the door and opened it. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I need your help." Derrick stated.

Confusion clouded my already exhausted mind, "With what?"

He took in a deep breath, "I want to be your apprentice."

I shook my head, "I'm sorry. I can not help you." I went to shut the door, but Derrick stopped it.

"Gilan, please. My father, Halt, Crowley, every Ranger is in danger. Don't tell me you're going to sit on the sidelines and wait for a message telling the king every Ranger is dead. If you are a Ranger, then be loyal to your friends."

I shook my head again, "Derrick... If you go in there, then you will die. Both of us will."

"We will never know until we try." The boy stated. "If we can come up with a great plan, then we can save them."

"Listen, Derrick-" He cut me off.

"The enemy is not going to kill them right away, so-"

"Derrick."

"We still have time to find and rescue them."

"DERRICK!" I bellowed, finally shutting him up.

He clenched his fists, "You're just like the others! Everybody is refusing to help! I thought the Ranger Corps. was your family! Now, when times are hard, you're just going to turn your back on them? What kind of person are you? If you truly care about them, then-"

_Smack! _It took me a second to realize what I had just done. Derrick was on the floor with blood streaming down his nose and a shocked expression shone on his face. I grabbed the front of his shirt, lifted him off the ground, and slammed him against the wall. "They are my family, but it would be a useless attempt to save them!" I slammed him against the wall again and pushed my arm against his neck, cutting off his air supply. "Do you really want to know how many times I wish I had died that day? I watched my comrades get beaten to a bloody pulp! Do you know how hard that was to watch? There was nothing I could do! We were all outnumbered! And here you come barging in here demanding I train you so you can go get yourself killed! I promised your father I would protect you if I managed to get away, so I will not train you! Do you really think your are a one man army? Are you that naive?" Rage was overpowering my mind and I felt my fist slam into Derrick's stomach multiple times. His face was growing purple and his struggles were becoming weaker. I threw him onto the floor and tried to calm down, but to no avail. "Get out of here and never ask me that again! Get out!" He was still on the ground, so I grabbed him by his shirt and threw him out the door.

He glared at me, "I... will save them... I will..." Derrick attempted to get up, but he slumped back to the floor. On his fourth attempt, he managed to get to his feet and lean against the wall. His breathing was raspy and he looked like he was going to pass out at any moment. The sheer determination in his dull eyes reminded me of Will. Immediately, my anger disappeared. It was only then that I realized how skinny the boy was.

"Derrick, how long has it been since you have ate?" I asked.

He glared at me, "Why do you care?"

"Derrick." I growled.

"If you're not going to help, then I'll save them alone." He replied and he pushed himself off the wall, stumbling down the castle hallway. Halfway down the hallway, he fell to his knees and I walked over to him. "Gilan, please. You're the only person left that can help. I won't be able to live if my father never comes back... My mom will be heartbroken and I can't stand to see her like that. I know I'm not the best son a parent can have, but I don't want to let them down... If I disappoint them... There will be not other reason for me to live... Please..." He looked up at me, and I realized he was crying. "Please... Help me save them..."

I stood there for a minute then walked away, "I'm sorry, Derrick. If I do not teach you how to be a Ranger, then you will never find them. You will not be in danger, so I can not help you." I opened the door and walked inside, leaving the sobbing teen in the hallway.

**(Alyss)**

Worry. The emotion will not leave. I have felt this way since the Rangers were captured by an unknown enemy. The door opened and I heard slow footsteps walk. I got to my feet, "Derrick?"

"Yeah?" A voice replied.

"We need to talk." I stated.

There was a moment of silence, "Can it wait? Really tired."

I was about to say 'yes' when I realized my son did not sound right. "Derrick, what is wrong?"

"Tired. Talk... later..." A loud thump sounded and I ran toward it. Derrick was lying on the floor, struggling to get up.

I crouched down next to him, "Derrick?" When I wrapped my arms around his stomach to help him up, my heart sank. "Oh my God, Derrick... What... You have been starving yourself."

"I'm... fine." He said and tried to get up again. I grabbed his arm and helped him to his bedroom. He fell to the floor again, "Just... leave me alone..." I put my arm around his stomach again and tried to help him to his feet. However, I noticed he was gritting his teeth painfully. When he finally fell down onto his bed, I lit the fireplace. The room glowed from the light of the fire and I looked at my son. Blood streamed from his nose, a large bruise was beginnning to form on his neck, and he was extremely skinny. I walked over and placed my hand on his stomach to try to estimate on how long he has went without eating. I could feel his ribs. He pushed my hand away from his stomach and I realized he was gritting his teeth again.

I lifted his shirt up to see what was wrong. "Derrick... what happened to you?" A large bruise covered his stomach. He just shook his head and I knew he was not going to tell me. "Derrick, please tell me what happened." He shook his head again. I used a piece of cloth to wipe away the blood that streamed from his nose. "Hold that there." He lifted his arm and held the cloth there while I went to get some water. When I returned, Derrick was either unconsious or asleep. I sat down beside his bed and wondered what was going to happen to everybody I have ever cared about.

When I woke up the next morning, I realized I had dozed off. Derrick was still asleep, but he was tossing and tuning. _A nightmare. _"Derrick, wake up, you're having a nightmare." I shook his arm, but he did not wake up. "Wake up, Derrick!" His breathing became irregular. Not knowing what else to do, I slapped him across the face. His eyes shot open and he looked around with a wild look in his eyes. I hugged him and he finally calmed down. "Derrick, do you want to talk about it?"

"It... it was about dad..." His voice broke off.

I sighed, "I have to go talk to King Duncan. I will be back shortly, okay?"

He nodded and I left the room before heading toward the castle.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.**

**(Will)**

There was no way of telling how long we had been here, there was no view outside. Just a while ago, the enemy brought Ranger Canthers body back to the cell. He had been tortured to death. Anger and grief raged like a blazing fire in my heart; I wanted to kill every single enemy. I jumped to my feet and attempted to attack the enemy guards, but a few other Rangers held me back. I fought them with all my strength, but I was outnumbered. Halt grabbed me by the shoulder, "Calm down!" He exclaimed while attempting to whisper, "Do you have a death wish?"

I growled, "How can you be so calm, Halt?"

"Years of practice in these types of situations. Now, shut up and sit still. Don't give them another reason to kill you and every single one of us." Halt stated and released my shoulder. I looked at Canthers motionless body. "Will, he was our friend, too. He would not want any of us to die in a useless quarrel."

Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, but they never did. "Halt, I've thought about Alyss and Derrick... but, that only makes my will to escape grow stronger..."

"You're going to have to wait like the rest of us if you want to see the sunset again. Just be patient. Believe me, the time will come to avenge Canthers." Halt replied.

I sighed, "The time had better come soon."

After a few minutes, the silence that settled over the Rangers was shattered. The leader walked in and stood in front of the defenseless Rangers. "King Duncan has refused our offer, which means a lot of people are going to die. Now, you're all probably thinking it is going to be you, but that's not the plan." The man smiled, "You'll see by dawn tomorrow what our plan is. Have a good night pondering on the thought of what is going to happen." The man smiled and left, leaving all of us confused. _What was going to happen?_

**(Melody)**

I sat at the fire with my mother in comfortable silence. It was one of the most peaceful nights I had ever experiance. The crickets sang outside, a night owl hooted, a dog barked, a wolf howled... A perfect night for every creature to roam peacefully. The peacefulness was interrupted by several screams outside. My mother and I ran to the door to see what was happening and the sight terrified us. Nearly eighty people were on the streets with bows, swords, knives, clubs, and maces all of the weapons bore down on unlucky victims. My mother quickly shut the door and placed a wooden chair in front of it. There was no way we could escape without being seen, so we just huddled in a corner and prayed.

However, moments later, eight men broke down the door and swarmed the small room. They grabbed our arms and forced us outside amongst the chaos. My mother and I was separated, but I still continued to struggle against the abductors. Then, I was being lead out of the town with many other children and teenagers. I was worried about my mother and everybody else, but I knew I had to focus if I wanted to survive this ordeal.

Hours later, we arrived at a large building with many guards. They rushed us through the doors and lead us to a large, empty room and left us there. Many children were crying and they were confused and traumatized. A hand grabbed my shoulder and I whirled around, then hugged the person. "Derrick, what's going on?"

He hugged me back, "I don't know, but I intend to find out."

"What are you going to do? What can you do?" I asked despairingly.

His eyes locked onto mine, "Listen, Mel. We're going to get out of here. I'm not going to let you get hurt, I promise."

At that moment, six men barged through the door. They stood at the front of the room and glared at every one of us. "You are no longer citizens of Redmont Fief, you are slaves for us now. If you try to run away, we will not hesitate to kill you. If you disobey orders, you will experiance extreme punishment. If you begin to make escape plans, you will wish you were dead. Finally, if you come in contact with other prisoners, you will have a slow and painful death. Am I understood?"

A few smaller children nodded their heads, but the older ones glared at the enemy. I reached for Derrick's hand, wanting the comfort of knowing I was not alone. He held my hand tight, like he would never let go. The six men left the room and we were left alone. Many children began crying and I looked up at Derrick.

His eyes were filled with a new fire, "The other prisoners they were talking about are most likely the Rangers..."

"Derrick, no. You will be killed." I pleaded.

He shook his head, "That's not what I'm going to do exactly, Melody. Trust me, we will all get out of here and go home. Just be patient. In the meantime, do what they say and stay alive."

I knew there was no way I could stop him, "When?"

"When the time is right." He stated.

Derrick hugged me as I began to cry, "Please. Whatever you do, don't get killed."

"I told you I am going to get you out of here and that is a promise I'm going to keep."

**(Alyss)**

I stood in front of King Duncan, who was worried about the current situation. One-third of Redmont's children had been taken hostage by the attackers. Only one child was the son of a Ranger. "King Duncan," I stated formally. "We need to prepare for another attack and try to rescue-"

A knight that stood in the room cut me off, "If we attempt a rescue mission, we will most likely be destroyed. However, if we stay here, there is a chance we can evacuate the civilians to another location and wait for another uncoming attack."

I glared at him, "Your child was taken by the invaders, too, or am I mistaken?"

He nodded, "And they will pay dearly for that. My son is loyal to his kingdom and will do anything to save it, even if it means sacrificing his own life. He will die honorably."

"How can he feel honor if he is dead? How can a father stand by and leave his son for dead?" I questioned.

The man was growing impatient, "My son will know before he is killed that he died for a reason. With that thought, I am at peace and I know my son will be as well."

This knight was cold-hearted. "Did you ever bother to ask your son if he wants to die? You never did get the chance when he was captured. How do you know if he is ready to die?" I yelled.

"What about your son?" The man asked, "You never had the chance to ask him either! He's probably shaking in fear of his upcoming death!"

Another man stepped forward, "You're wrong. Derrick was already accustomed to the fact that he may die." I looked over at Gilan who continued, "Derrick was going to go rescue the Rangers, even if he died trying. I figured if I refused to train him, he would give up. Now that he has been captured along with the others, he will see it as an opportunity to rescue everybody and get information."

The knight sneered, "He's just a kid! He will do no good! He will only be another body going six feet under!"

Gilan shook his head, "I know Derrick. He has his father's determination, spirit, and skills. Will Treaty killed a Kalkara when he was only fifteen and in his first year of training. Then, he burned Morgarath's bridge and was taken hostage. Don't you see, Will survived every ordeal."

"That does not guarantee that Derrick will." The knight retorted.

Gilan sighed, "You know the phrase 'one rally, one Ranger'? Well, you have over fifty Rangers in one place and, possibly, a teen with a plan. Do you really think the enemy is going to win?"

"The enemy is even stornger than the Rangers! How is one kid going to defeat ever single one of them?" The knight replied.

Gilan smiled, "He's not." Confused eyes watched the Ranger, "He's going to learn everything about the enemy and make a plan then."

King Duncan cut in this time, "What makes you think Derrick will do this?"

"It is what a Ranger would do. And believe me, Derrick is born to be a Ranger. Just give him a few days, he may have a plan by then." Gilan replied.

"Is it wise to put this much trust in a fifteen year old?" King Duncan asked.

Gilan nodded, "I believe so, sir. However, it is your decision."

The knight returned in the converation, "Will you trust the son of a Ranger with no experiance, or will go with the plan of somebody with experiance?"

There was silence.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Back again... I realized I have not updated this in forever! Sorry! I added a little bit of action in this chapter, so, hopefully you will enjoy this chapter!**

***Three Days Later***

**(Halt)**

"No! Let him go!" Will screamed at the people pinning my arms behind my back. The other Rangers glared at the enemies and I could see in their eyes that they were debating on what to do. Will, however, decided for them; he lunged at the nearest guard, but was unsuccessful, because the other guards blocked his way. I desperately tried to think of a way to get free, but I knew if I did that, I would only end up dead and even, possibly, kill my friends in the process.

The leader laughed again, "We told you before we were going to kill every single one of you until we get the information from you. However, I believe it's time to give you all a little bit of information." He held a long knife to my neck, but I did not flinch. Instead, I stood there patiently, waiting for what was going to come. "Bring her over here."

I was confused, _her? Do they have Pauline or Alyss, even? Who are talking about? _Three men brought a girl, probably at least fifteen, next to me. She had tears in her eyes, but she never let them spill. She scanned the room and set her eyes on Will. A knowing glance passed between them and I wondered what was silently being said.

"I'm going to have this girl stay in here, she'll fill you in on everything that's going on. In the meantime," The leader dug the blade into my neck a little farther, "If anyone tries to escape, you will die after watching innocent people die." He released me, but I took my time to join the others. When I turned around to face the coldhearted people, they let the girl go and she stumbled forward and was at a risk of falling; however, Will caught her and she buried her face into his shirt. They finally left and I glanced at Will. He looked up at me and I could see the terror fading from his eyes. I put my hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

Will sighed then pulled away from the girl, "Melody, I know you're scared right now, but we need you to tell us what happened to you. Okay?"

She nodded, "After you were captured, these people sent the king a letter stating they had you and if he didn't give them the kingdom, they were going to kill you all... Everything was tense after that, then they raided the town and took many children hostage."

"How many?" I questioned.

She looked up at me, "Forty-eight."

"Okay, we need to come up with a plan. Listen Melody, no matter what happens, don't give up. There has to be a way out of here and we will find it, just give us some time." Will stated.

Melody looked unconfident, "Time is what we don't have, Will." She motioned toward the guards outside and I knew she still had more information, but couldn't give it while there were guards present. I nodded at her, telling her I understood what she was saying.

"What about my son?" Will asked. He knew it was too risky to give away any names.

She looked up at him, "He was fine the last time I saw him."

Will nodded, "He's not the type to sit around when something's happening, though. What's he planning, Melody?"

She sighed, "He didn't tell me anything... I don't know what he's planning. They held me in a cell by myself for three days, so I have no idea how the others are."

Footsteps could be heard down the corridor and silence filled the room. A few guards came in and grabbed Will. The leader smiled at us, "Look who we have here." He stepped aside. Melody had tears forming in her eyes. "Here's the deal, kid." The leader said, talking to the hostage. "Choice one: kill the Ranger in front of you. Choice two: attack Redmont Fief and kill as many people as you can. Choice three: die where you stand."

I was frozen, none of us could do anything in this situation.

There was nothing but silence. The leader nodded at the guards and one of them dislocated the boy's shoulder. A brief cry of pain was the only thing that broke the silence. Then, the boy spoke, "I'd rather go with choice three."

The leader laughed, "What if I said it was not an option?"

"Then I'd say go to hell." The boy spat. "I'm not becoming a monster like you."

The leader laughed again, "How about this. Choice Three, you come to our side. I like your spirit, kid and you obviously have talent if you managed to stay hidden for a day and a half. So, I have given you another option, what's it going to be?"

The boy, Derrick, gave no answer. When he didn't, the guards holding Will held a knife against his throat. "You have thirty seconds or he dies." The leader said. Every few seconds, the knife would dig deeper against Will's skin, blood eventually streaming. Derrick began to struggle, but the guards beat him until he was lying on the ground. "Ten seconds." The leader stated. A few seconds later, "Five... four... three... two... o-"

"Choice Three." Derrick stated. The knife stopped and was dropped away from Will's throat.

"So, you're going to betray your kingdom for one person?" The leader asked. "Fine with me."

Derrick looked at him, "You didn't say that!"

"It was better left unsaid. Now, guards ta-" The leader was cut off when a fist connected with his jaw. Derrick attempted to hit him again, but the guards grabbed him. "That was uncalled for." The man said as he wiped blood from his nose. "Take him and get as much information about Redmont Fief as you can."

The guards nodded and dragged Derrick away. Will was put back in the room, but not without a fight. It seemed to take a few seconds to realize his son was going to be tortured. Even outnumbered, I had never seen him fight like he did. The bond between a father and son was unbreakable. Will sat down and put his head in his hands in misery. The other Rangers rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to offer a sense of comfort. I sat down next to him, "He'll be okay, Will. He's stronger than you think."

"Halt, my son is about to be tortured for information he probably does not have... How am I supposed to think? Am I supposed to believe he's not going to get hurt or go through a near death experiance, possibly? How can I not worry?" Will asked.

I didn't really know what to say, "Will... I didn't say not to worry, I only said he would be okay. It's natural for you to worry, but that's not going to help right now. We have to focus on finding a way out of here alive with the other hostages. I promise, we will find Derrick, but it's going to take time and planning. Will, he's your son, I know, but look at how many situations you have went through and came out alive. And they do say 'like father, like son'. Derrick has enough potential to be just like you. He will survive this, you have to believe that."

Will nodded his head, "But still... the thought at him being tortured... It should be me there, not him. He's too young."

"He is the same age as you were when you killed the Kalkara. He'll be fine." I replied.

"But, even when this is all over, people will see him as a traitor. He'll be known as a traitor just because he wanted to protect everyone!" Will yelled in anger.

I sighed, "I'm sure King Duncan would understand his decision, Will. Right now, we have to-" I was cut off by a loud scream in the distance.

Will's head shot up and his face turned pale, "That's Derrick, I know it is..."

The girl, Melody, was crying, but was still trying to be strong. Another scream could be heard, and we could only wonder what was happening to the boy. Every Ranger there felt like their own child was being tortured, which made them speed up on their planning, but I figured, by the time we got out, it would be too late.

**(Derrick)**

A lot of people, especially knights and Rangers, have a high pain tolerance. Luckily, I was one of those people. However, this torture could break even the strongest man. First, they asked me questions in a language I didn't even know or understand. When I couldn't answer a question, they would cut me with saxe knives or shoot me in the arms with arrows, both a common Ranger's weapons. This lasted for hours, finally, they began to talk in my language. "The Ranger's have abandoned you. Araluen has abandoned you. Your life, family, friends, their all gone. You killed them, kid. You killed them. You came to us seeking revenge on your homeland. You're our assassain now-"

"Go to hell. You know as well as I do none of that happened. What are you trying to do?" I whispered, half conscious of what I was saying.

"You're going to obey our rules, regulations, and orders now." The man said as he grabbed a vial of dark liquid from a table.

I glared at the stuff, "What are you-"

The man grabbed the saxe knife and sliced my chest open. I couldn't talk anymore, the pain was too much. A dark veil draped over my mind, the last thing I heard was, "Welcome to life as an assassain. Your mission is to kill everyone at Redmont Fief. Do you accept?"

I didn't remember my answer; the darkness began to overwhelm my senses. I could still see, but my mind was no longer my own. Before I lost my mind completely, my last thought was _what do I do now?_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice. Sorry I have been MIA for a while... I had to get ready for a wedding that occurred in my front yard, the power was out for days, I was on vacation, and I am now a volunteer at Energy Express, working to get my community service hours. So, yeah, things have been hectic.**

***Three Days Later***

**(Melody)**

I hadn't seen Derrick in six days. After what happened three days ago, I figured he was not alive. They put me back with the other children, every person in the room asking me all kinds of questions.

"How long are we going to be in here?"

"Did you meet the Rangers?"

"Did anyone die?"

"Why did they take you?"

"Is there any way to escape?"

The questions overwhelmed me, in fact, I didn't answer any of them. Right now, I was too worried about us, the Rangers, and Derrick... What was we going to do to get out of here? How could we? I sat down against the wall. _If the Ranger's were captured, what chance do we have of escaping?_ I put my head down in my hands, letting the tears of defeat trickle down my face, unnoticed by the children. In my head, Derrick's agonizing screams pierced my ears, the sound of him being tortured. Derrick, the one person I believed to be the strongest out of many. Derrick, the one who has had my back in the toughest situations... My mind slipped back into the past to the first day I met him...

_**~Flashback~**_

_I was ten years old running, playing with my friend, Diana when they showed up. 'They' being the bullies of Redmont Fief. _

_"Diana, we should probably go." I said, wanting to get away from the bullies._

_She nodded, "Let's go."_

_The bullies noticed us and began to walk our way. "Where are you two going in such a hurry?" Diana and I started to run back toward the town, afraid of what they may do. They caught up to us quickly and one of them shoved Diana to the ground._

_"Diana!" I yelled andwent back to her. By then, the bullies had us surrounded. _

_One of them grinned, "Look how scared they are!"_

_"They should be afraid of us!" Another replied._

_I looked up at them, "Please, we just want to go home. Diana's hurt." It was true. My friend's leg had a deep gash in it and was bleeding non-stop. I put my hands over the wound and tried to stop the bleeding. _

_The lead bully laughed, "You hear that? They just want to go home... How sad..." They walked toward us with evil grins on their face, that was when I heard them._

_"Hey! Leave them alone!" The voice came from behind us and I turned around to get a better look. Four boys ran our way and, before I knew what was happening, stepped between us and the bullies. _

_The lead bully laughed, "Ah, so it's your group, huh squirt? That's okay, though You're too weak to do anything."_

_"Just leave them alone. Look, one of them is hurt and she needs to get the cut on her leg properly cared for. I don't care if you think you're stronger than us, we won't stand by and let you hurt or scare them." The lead boy stated while the others agreed._

_A second later, fists were flying through the air. It was four against the six bullies, an unequal match. Two of the bullies and one of the boys were beat after nearly a minute, but it still wasn't an equal match. Finally, the fighting was over and the bullies ran off. The boys remaining breathed hard covered in cuts and bruises. One of them walked over to me and Diana and I shrank down a little._

_The boy stopped moving, "It's okay. We're not going to hurt you." He smiled at Diana, "Cut your leg up pretty badly, huh? I can take you to my house so mother can bandage it."_

_I glared at him, not trusting him, "Why did you protect us? What are you going to do to us now?"_

_The boy looked a bit crestfallen, "I'm not going to do anything to hurt you. I promise. Believe me, if we wanted to see you hurt, we wouldn't have fought Stan and his friends just now. You can trust us."_

_I debated for a minute whether or not to trust him, but when I saw Diana's leg again, I knew it was our only option. "Okay."_

_The boy smiled and the others walked over. Two of them wrapped Diana's arms around their necks to support her as she hopped on her uninjured leg. "Wait." The boy told his friends. They stopped and looked back at him. I watched as the boy tore off the end of his shirt and wrapped it around Diana's leg. "That should hold back the bleeding some." I didn't understand why he and his friends were helping us; after all, I had only seen them once or twice in the town. The others continued on, but I held back a few feet. The boy noticed this and walked back to me. "What's your name?"_

_I stared at him for a few seconds, "Melody."_

_He held out his hand and smiled, "I'm Derrick. Sorry for not coming sooner. Stan and his friends are always up to no good."_

_"I can tell." I said. A few minutes passed by, "Thank you."_

_Derrick shrugged his shoulders, "Don't worry about it."_

_"How can I not worry about it? You were hurt protecting me and Diana, I'm sorry you were hurt because of-"_

_He cut me off, "It's just a few cuts and bruises, nothing major. Don't worry about us, we're a lot tougher than you think. Besides, I'm not the type of guy who sits around on the sidelines while innocent people get hurt, neither are my friends." We walked until we were at his house. His mother, Alyss, made the boys sit Diana in a chair so she could clean and bandage her leg. The other boys left after saying their goodbyes, leaving me, Diana, Derrick, Alyss, and Derrick's father, Will Treaty, in the room. _

_After hearing what happened the two parents understood. Will went to Diana's home to tell her parents where she was and what had happened. Sitting in the same room with a Ranger and his family was strange, but I stayed for my friend. When her parent's came and got Diana I stood up to walk home. _

_Derrick stood up too, "I'll walk you home. They might still be out, it's nearly sunset anyway." I wanted to protest, but I knew the boy would walk me home anyway. So, I let him. He walked me home and, just as I was about to go through the door, he said, "If you need anything, just come and find me." _

_I smiled at him,"Okay, thanks."_

_He nodded, the left. I didn't see him again until two weeks later. His mom and my mom, Sarah, had became real good friends, so I was often with her and mother. However, Alyss didn't show up for a few days. My mother and I went to their cabin to see what was wrong. As soon as we walked toward the door, Will stopped us. "I wouldn't go in there, Derrick's sick and you may catch what he has."_

_"How bad is he?" Mother asked._

_He shook his head, "Bad. Right now, he's awake, but he won't drink anything. Some healer's say it will pass, other's say is he doens't drink he'll dehydrate and-" Will stopped and sighed helplessly. "I just don't know what's wrong with him. Nobody does." I looked up at mother before running into the cabin._

_"Melody, come back!" She yelled, but I was already inside._

_I quickly found the room Derrick was in. His eyes were closed, sweat soaked his hair and trickled down his face, neck, and chest; he looked terrible. "Derrick?" I walked over to him and grabbed his hand. "Derrick?"_

_He opened his eyes, "Melody... You shouldn't..."_

_"Be here? I know, but you helped me when I needed help, now I'm going to help you." I stated and grabbed the cup of water sitting by the bedside. "You told me if I needed anything to come and find you. Well, I need you to drink this water."_

_He shook his head weakly, "Can't."_

_"Yes, you can if you try. I know you're too stubborn to give up already." I replied, half smiling. He smiled too and I put the water to his lips, but he still refused to drink. "Derrick, please. You have to drink."_

_He shook his head again, "Sorry... Can't... Too tired."_

_"Please, for me?" I begged._

_His eyes met mine like they did the first time. I put the water to his lips and he took a sip of it. I sighed, thankfully. "See, you can do anything if you set your mind to it."_

_He took another sip of the water, "Thanks." Then, "I took a drink of water... Now leave..."_

_"Why, because you don't want me to see you like this?" I asked._

_He nodded slowly, "That and... I don't want you to get sick." He smiled, "Go."_

_I smiled, "I'll be back another time. Anytime you need me, just find me."_

_He nodded, "Okay." Then, he shut his eyes and was fast asleep._

_When I turned around, Will, Alyss, and my mother was standing in the doorway. I smiled at them, "He'll be okay." I was right, two weeks later, Derrick returned to being, well, Derrick. Diana and I stayed with Derrick and his friends. His three friends were Robert, Clark, and John, all of them good people once you got to know them. However, most people saw them as troublemakers because of all the fights they were involved in. What most people didn't know was the so-called 'troublemakers' didn't fight for self-benefit; they fought to protect. _

_By the time Derrick and I was twelve, he said he wanted to be a Ranger. When I asked him why he simply stated, "I just want to follow my father's footsteps. To me, the Rangers are just as noble as the knights, perhaps even more." I never doubted Derrick would follow in his father's footsteps, after all Will and Derrick were too much alike. _

_**~End Flashback~**_

I stared at the floor, returning from the memory. The others sat around, some glanced at me every once in a while, but I didn't mind. I was used to it by now. I wondered briefly what was going to happen next. With the Ranger's captured, everybody had lost hope. Without Derrick by my side, I had lost everything; I was empty, hollow, just an outer shell of somebody that once existed. I was not the person I used to be; I was defeated and alone.

**A/N: Good? Bad? Downright awful? Feedback would be much appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm back! Enjoy this chapter!**

**(Derrick)**

I woke up tied to a chair, sweat streamed dowm my face, a dull ache spread throughout my body, my mind fuzzy. _Where am I? What happened? _I tried to remember something, anything. The only think I remember is orders and being injected with something. "Welcome to life as an assassain. Your mission is to kill everyone at Redmont Fief. Do you accept?" I remembered my answer being 'yes'. After all, what was Redmont Fief to me? _Who am I, exactly? Have I ever been to Redmont Fief? Do I know anyone there? Why am I following this man's orders? Why am I injured and tied to a chair? What's going on here? Why do I feel like I'm missing something? How come I can't remember the important details?! _I sighed, all these questions raged through my head; none of them I had the answer for. The door opened and I looked at the man that walked in.

"Are you ready for your mission?" The man asked.

_I don't want to kill anyone, but I need to follow along with whatever this man wants. _"Yes, sir."

He smiled, "Good. However, not yet. You will train with the others for one week, then you will attack Redmont Fief."

"How shall I attack Redmont Fief, sir?" I asked, curious.

The man laughed, "You really want to attack Redmont Fief, don't you kid? They say to fight fire with fire, but we're going to start the battle and finish it. We burn down as much as we can in one night, but it's mainly a diversion for the real attack."

"Real attack, sir?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it yet. Just focus on your training." The man untied me from the chair. "If you are injured during this training, your wounds will not be treated. They will have to heal on their own without any medical assistance. We believe this makes the individual stronger. If you protest or whine, you will be killed on the spot. Do I make myself clear?"

I nodded, "Yes, sir."

"What is your first instinct in battle?" He asked.

I hesitated for a moment and lied, "Fight as long and as hard as I can even if it kills me."

"And-" The man prompted.

"Kill anyone who stands in my way." I replied, trying to hide my confusion and dishonesty. The rope fell from my hands and I rose to my feet and followed the man to the training room.

***Four Days Later***

Exhausted, I made my way back to the room I was assigned. Bits and pieces of my memory was returning, but none of it made sense. _Who is the girl I keep seeing in my dreams? Who were the people I was with in the woods when I was protecting the same girl? Who is the man that taught me how to shoot a bow? Who taught me how to ride the horse that will nearly pull your arm out of socket if you're not careful? Is this my past life? _

"Let go of me!" A girl's voice rang through the corridor. "Get away from me!" A loud smack echoed off the walls. I walked to the sound and saw one of the guards standing in front of a girl, who was on her knees.

"What's going on here?" I asked.

The guard looked up, "Stupid girl bit me. I had to show her who was the boss."

"You are aware the prisoners are to be unharmed, right?" I asked, looking at the small girl. "Besides, she's probably no more than seven years old. What do you want with her?"

The guard gritted his teeth in anger, "That's none of your business, new recruit." He stepped on the little girl's hand, making her cry.

"That's enough." I said, but the man didn't even acknowledge me. I walked to him, grabbed him by the collar and slung him against the wall, "I said enough!" The man looked at me, surprised, scared, and furious. "Get out of here right now, or I will tell the boss you disobeyed his orders. I'll be taking guard duty tonight." I let go of the man and he spat at me before walking away. When he was gone, I looked at the girl. She was crying and holding her hand, the sight reminded me of something, but I just couldn't remember. I crouched down next to her, "Let me see your hand."

She shook her head, "You're one of them."

"Get away from her!" A woman screamed. "Don't you dare hurt her!" I looked at her, there was a cell between me and the other prisoners. Apparently, the boss had moved the prisoners to a different location recently.

I looked back at the young girl, "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. If I wanted to see you hurt, I wouldn't have stopped that man. Trust me."

The woman stopped screaming at me and the little girl looked up at me. "How come you're not mean to me?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I just don't think I'm the kind of person who stands on the sidelines when other get hurt." I smiled, "Can I see your hand?"

The little girl nodded and gave me her hand. I smiled at her, "It's not broken, but it will be sore for a few days." I tore off a piece of my shirt and tied it around her hand, "Keep that on there until it gets better, okay?"

"Okay." The girl smiled and, before I knew what was happening, she hugged me. "Thank you, sir."

I hugged her back, "You're welcome. I'm sorry, but I have to put you back in there."

"Will that man come back?" The little girl asked, scared.

I shrugged, "I don't know, but I'll stay here for the rest of the night."

"Will you protect me is he comes back?" She asked.

For a moment, I hesitated. Deep down, I knew I was not the person the boss was training me to be. I wanted answers, but I just keep running into more questions. When the boss asked me what my first instinct was in battle, I lied to him. My first instinct is to protect. That was the only thing I knew about myself, I never even learned my name. "Yes, I'll protect you." The little girl smiled and I opened the door to the cell. She went in and I locked the door.

"Derrick?" The woman asked.

_Is that the little girl's name? _I wondered and looked up at the woman to find she was staring at me.

"Who?" I asked.

"Derrick, don't play that game with me. It's me, Melody." She said.

_Melody? How does she know me? Do I know her? _"I'm sorry... I don't know you."

She became frustrated, "Derrick Treaty don't you dare pretend you don't know me."

I was confused. _Derrick Treaty is my name? Melody... who is she? _"I don't know what you're talking about."

Before I could step away from the cell, she grabbed my shirt collar and pulled me closer to her. "Oh my god, Derrick... What- what did they do to you?" She was looking at my neck and face, which was littered with cuts and bruises.

I escaped from her grasp and went to the opposite wall, "Look, lady, I don't know you."

"Yes, you do! Just think about it!" She screamed.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember something, anything that could help me in this situation. "Look, lady, I don't remember any-"

I opened my eyes and realized I was no longer in the corridor. Instead, I saw my younger self sitting outside a cabin brushing a small pony. A man walked up behind the other me. "Derrick, you really like Tug don't you?"

The younger me smiled, "Yeah! He's as fast as the wind!"

The man laughed, "How can you tell if you've never experianced it?"

"I don't know..." The younger me said.

The man retreated into the cabin and came out with a saddle. He showed the younger me how to put it on the pony and got on it's back. He reached out a hand, "Come on. Tug won't mind." The younger me grabbed his hand and, a few seconds later, the pony bolted forward so fast, you could barely see him. When he returned, the younger me was laughing.

"He is as fast as the wind, father!" The younger me exclaimed.

_Wait, _I thought. _This man is my father? _The image disappeared and, next, I was inside the cabin.

The younger me asked a woman, "Mother, how did you and father meet?"

"We both grew up in the Ward. Can you believe your father and Horace were enemies back then?" My mother asked.

The younger me looked suprised, "No way! Uncle Horace and father? You're lying."

"No, it's the truth. They fought all the time before Horace went to Battleschool and Will became a Ranger's Apprentice. After training for a while, when Harvest Day came, they had a pretty bad fight. A while later they both went on a boar hunt and they both protected each other. After that, they were friends." She finished.

The younger me asked, "They both protected each other?"

"Yes." She answered.

"I want to protect everybody, too!" The younger me said, "I want to be like father and uncle Horace."

Mother smiled and started tickling me, "What about me?"

The younger me managed to say between laughing, "I want your intelligence and wisdom."

I smiled at the scene. _So this was my life before this? _Everything came back to me in an instant. I remembered my friends, family, Melody, everything. I remembered the news of the Ranger's capture, confronting Gilan, being captured myself, and agreeing to betray the kingdom. Then, I remembered the torture and how I lost my memory. I was back in the corridor, sitting against the wall, shaking.

"Derrick? Are you okay?" Melody asked.

_The torture... _"It was awful." I muttered.

"What?" She asked.

"I remember everything... Being captured, the choice I made, the torture..." My voice broke off and I realized I was terrified. I managed to hold back the tears, though. "I promise every one of you I will get you out of here. Just, please, trust me. I'm on the enemies side now, but I will save you. No matter what happens next, please remember I'm loyal to you all, the Ranger's, and Araluen..."

Melody nodded, "I trust you Derrick. We all do."

I nodded my gratitude, then tried to fight back the nightmarish visions of the torture. My blood trickling to the floor, the pain I felt, the want to die... It was all too much. Tears streamed down my face, but I made a silent promise. _I won't let anybody go through what I did._


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here we go again. School starts back on the 23rd, so I probably won't be updating a lot, but I will definately work on my stories during the weekends. School, to me, is more important than fanfiction (sorry, but that's the truth). One day I hope to be a surgeon and knowledge is the key to success! I had to write in Derrick's POV again so you can officially understand what's going on. But for now, the battle begins! P.S. I think this story is going to, regretfully, end soon. Enjoy! Also, I listened to Two Steps From Hell while writing this chapter. Talk about getting motivated! I really recommend Two Steps From Hell! Their music is absolutely EPIC!**

***Three Days Later***

**(Derrick)**

I was placed in the infiltration group and our job was to destroy most of the town around Castle Redmont. The torches weren't lit yet, but they soon would be. _Will my plan work? _I had thought for a few days on what I could do to stop this, then realized I couldn't. However, there was one thing I could do, but I knew I would be put in the line of fire. We walked toward Redmont Fief in the darkness of the night with only the moon lighting out path through the canopy of the trees. I walked as quietly as I could while praying there would be no casualties. We finally made it to our destination, in the woods just outside of the town. From there, we split into smaller groups, twelve groups with four people in each group. I held an unlit torch in my hand and followed the three people I was with around the tree-line. I looked at my territory, my home and tried to imagine the terror the citizens were about to face. I knew I couldn't save everyone, but I was going to save as much as I could. A series of whistles pierced the air; that was when the chaos began. People screamed in the distance and the sky turned a pale red from the fires. The infiltration team had placed members inside the town just two days before and now my hometown was being attacked from the inside. While everyone was focused on the fires, we climbed the walls with ladders and infiltrated our target within a few minutes. After lighting my torch, I looked around to see fires were raging, screams pierced the air, and people attempted to flee the chaos. Luckily, I was able to slip away unnoticed by anyone, simply because they were too focused on the task. I ran as fast as I could to the castle, telling people along the way to gather around the castle and to spread the word. My torch was lit and most people stayed away from me, not knowing my intentions. Before I knew it, I was slashed with a knife. I whirled around, looking for my attacker. Somehow, my attacker managed to slip behind me and slash my back. I grabbed a knife I had in the scabbard and turned to face another attack. When I saw nobody was there, I was confused. Then, I followed my instincts and turned around just in time to block the strike that was aimed for my neck.

"Derrick?" The attacker asked, suprised.

In a way, I was suprised too. "Gilan. Look, I don't have a lot of time. You have to take me to King Duncan, I have important information to tell him."

"You're on their side, Derrick?" He asked, angry.

"No, I'm still on your side. Please, Gilan, I have to get to King Duncan right now, before somebody catches me talking to you." I stated.

Gilan shook his head, "I don't know where your loyalties lie anymore, Derrick. I'm sorry, but I can't take you to the king. The best thing you can do is get out of here."

"Gilan please! Look, I'll explain everything once King Duncan can hear me. I'm not a traitor, I'm still loyal to Araluen, you just have to trust me on that." I could see I wasn't really convincing him, "Please! Look, I know you don't trust me at all right now and you have every right not to, but if I don't see King Duncan right now, a lot more people are going to die!"

He looked at me and I could tell he was torn between trusting me or protecting the fief. "Alright, I'll take you there, but if you make one wrong move, I won't hesitate to kill you."

I nodded and followed Gilan as he broke off into a run toward the castle.

**(Alyss)**

I was with Sarah when the attack first started and we quickly took cover in the castle. King Duncan had sent out the knights to help his people and was preparing for battle himself along with Baron Arald. Everything in the castle was chaotic, until the doors opened revealing Gilan and a person I thought I wouldn't see in a long time. "Derrick?" I stared unbelievingly at my son. His face was serious and the first thing I noticed were the cuts and bruises that covered his face, neck, and arms. He looked over at me, a worried expression on his face.

"King Duncan, I don't have a lot of time here, so listen to every word I say and don't make me repeat myself." He stated and King Duncan nodded in agreement, then motioned for him to continue. "This attack in only the beginning; the real battle is in two days. They plan on using hostages as human shields on the frontlines."

The king interrupted, "Who are the hostages?"

"The Rangers and the children taken from the fief." Derrick replied.

I heard Sarah gasp in fear and sadness, "Melody is one of the hostages." She said and I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. Then, I turned my attention back to my son.

Derrick continued, "They're going to attack head on, but I don't know the exact time. I need you to take me as a hostage, so I can be on your side when they attack."

"What about the hostages?" Baron Arald asked. "They'll just use them as shields."

"That's why we attack from behind. The way that army works, if the leader dies, his followers become confused. They have to have his orders. With him dead, hopefully, they'll just surrender." Derrick reported.

A knight challenged him, "How are you not one of his followers?"

"I was, at first. They injected me with something that made me loose my memory, but I managed to get mine back. I've been trying to find out as much as I can, but I'm not one of the top ranking officials. In that army, I'm just a warrior and infiltrator." He turned to look at the king, "They don't operate like the Rangers. They're strong because they have no emotions; they act on instinct and training alone. They don't protect each other, they won't even help you if you're wounded or nearly dying. That's the main difference between them and the Rangers; they don't trust anyone."

"How do we know we can trust you?" A knight asked.

Derrick looked at him, "You don't know, but I'm here to tell you that you can. I'm not an enemy, why do you think I've risked my life telling you all this information? Why do you think I trained to learn their way of fighting?"

"Why didn't you try to rescue the hostages?" The knight asked.

My son shook his head, "It would be impossible. There are too many hostages to get out at once. If one went missing, all of them would die."

"You probably didn't even try!" The knight yelled.

King Duncan interrupted them, "That's enough! I'll have to think about this. Until then, Derrick, you're going to be a hostage to make sure you don't go back to the enemy's side."

"I understand." Derrick and nodded his head respectfully.

Then, King Duncan started giving some of the knights orders as to what to do about the current situation. Sarah and I walked over to Derrick, but Sarah got to him first. "Derrick, how's Melody? Is she safe? Have they hurt her?"

"She's fine. I kept check on all of them." Derrick replied.

Sarah's voice cracked in sadness. "Will I get to see her again?"

"I promised her I would get her out and I'm not going to break that promise. I'll go through hell to make sure she comes home safe." Derrick smiled at her reassuringly then faced me.

I hugged him before he could say anything, then I pulled away and put my hand on a cut above his eye. "What happened to you?"

"A lot has happened, but I'm fine." He stated. "I'm sorry, but I have to talk to Gilan."

**(Gilan)**

When I saw Derrick, I knew he had been through hell. The first words out of his mouth were, "I'm sorry."

His words confused me, "For what?"

He sighed, "Look at the trouble I've got into. Look at all the people that are dying simply because I didn't think of a plan to get here sooner. If only I'd-"

I cut him off in midsentence, "Derrick, it's not your fault. If you came to us earlier, they may have found out you betrayed them. They would kill you on the spot."

"Better one life then dozens." Derrick stated.

The way he said it made my heart grow cold in fear, "What do you mean?" He turned his head, but I placed my hand on his shoulder, "Derrick, what else are you planning to do?"

He smiled, "Please, don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

"Derrick Treaty don't you dare tell me to not worry about it. You're like a son to me and I know you better than this. You're planning to do something reckless, aren't you?" I guessed.

His eyes became serious, "I have my own plan, but I have to do it on my own. I'm right in the middle of this war and I'm the only one who can end it."

I started shaking my head, "No, don't you dare."

"I know it's reckless, but I'm the only one who can do this." He stated.

"Have you even thought this through?"

Derrick nodded, "Like I said, I have a plan. When the leader dies, the battle will be over."

I shook my head again, "You'll be slaughtered."

"Araluen won't let that man take over. If I fail, he'll have the rest of Araluen to deal with. I'm sorry, Gilan, but if I die, I want to die knowing I done my best to protect everyone. I wanted to be a Ranger, I still do, so please let me be the person I want to be. If I die, let me die knowing this war will not last. I promise I'll do my best to make it back, but if I don't, I want you to do me a favor." He looked at me for a minute, as if he was saying his final words.

"What?" I asked.

He sighed, "Tell the ones close to me that I done this to protect them, so they wouldn't have to go through what I did. Tell mother, father, and..." He paused for a moment, "And Melody that I love them. Please, Gilan."

I shook my head, "No."

Derrick looked sad, betrayed, and angry. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"You make it back here and tell them yourself after the battle." I stated.

"But what if I don't come back?" The boy asked.

I sighed, "Derrick. I'm only going to say this one more time: make it back here and tell them yourself after the battle. I'm not going to give them your final words, I refuse. Either you do it or nobody does." I knew it sounded awful of me, like I was betraying him, but I also knew his loved ones were the only way he could survive this: the only way he would even try to come back. "If you loose, we're all dead."

Derrick clenched his hand into a fist, the relaxed. "I won't loose. If I die, it will be after I kill him."

I smiled, "Now you're starting to sound like the Derrick Treaty I know. You're starting to sound like your father."

"They do say 'like father, like son'." Derrick replied, breaking the serious tone in our conversation. "Thanks for everything, Gilan."

I nodded, "You're welcome, even though I haven't done much. Just be careful and try to come back in one piece, kid."

"I will." He stated and left the room.

***Hours Later***

**(****Will)**

Some guards stepped into the room and grabbed me by the arms, dragging me into an empty room. I stood there, struggling to not avail. A man came in with a syringe, "You're kingdom has caused me many problems. Now, they have one of my men hostage and they're going to pay. Your mission is to kill as many people of Redmont Fief as you can."

"What makes you think I'll accept?" I asked stubbornly.

The man smiled, "I have my ways." A second later, the syringe was buried in my skin and my veins felt like they were on fire. That was the last thing I remembered before loosing consciousness.

***Two Days Later**

**(Horace)**

I was on the frontlines with other knights, ready for the upcoming battle. In the distance, I saw hundreds of figures appear. _This is it... This is what we have been preparing for... This is war. _I noticed a man, the enemy, appear out of his frontlines. _This man must be the leader. _He yelled for some of his men to step forward and nearly fifty did. My heart fell into my stomach when I realized who we were facing. In front of us stood the Rangers and they seemed to be ready to fight and kill us.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So, I should have updated sooner, but I've been extremely busy! I even had homework on the first day of school! Anyway, on with the story!**

**(Halt)**

I saw only one enemy, the one in front of us. There were a lot of them, but I knew we could win. Even though I had no memories of ever fighting in a battle like this, I knew I could rely on my instincts. Seconds passed like minutes, minutes like hours. Then, our leader spoke to the enemy. "If you wish to surrender, then you can come over to our side and fight with us!"

A man, the enemies leader, returned, "We'll never surrender! Also, you may want to think about our hostage! He put up a good fight, but we nearly killed him in the end! Right now, my men are waiting for orders to kill him and start this war!"

"Let the hostage die! He is useless to me now!" The Boss yelled.

There was a paused, then the enemy leader bellowed, "Attack!" The enemy frontlines rushed forward, but we shoved the hostages in front of us to use as shields. However, then enemy never stopped and I heard screams from behind me. Turning around, I saw the back of our army being torn to shreds by a group of knights.

Our leader glared at the enemy, "Forward! Don't stop until either you or them are dead!"

We moved forward with our human shields, leaving some behind to fight the enemy that appeared behind our ranks. The hostages struggled, but none were getting away. Beside me, an arrow hit another man in the arm, making him fall to the ground. His hostage, a young boy, looked in fright, then ran toward the enemy. The enemy took in the hostage with open arms, pushing him toward the back. Another arrow struck down another man, this time in the leg, and his hostage managed to escape as well. I knew if it continued like this, every one of the hostages would get away. I looked for the shooter and finally saw him on the sidelines. I released my hostage and let her run into the enemy ranks, then I charged the archer. He looked stunned for a second as I swung a long knife at him, but he blocked a second before the knife sliced his throat. "Halt." The man said. "You have to remember me!" I ignored him and pushed him backward, then used another knife to swing at him again. This time, the blade met his arm before the man had a chance to block. I swung again, hitting the man in the head with the knife's hilt, sending the enemy stumbling. "Halt, it's me Gilan!" The man stated as he regained his balance, blood trickled down his brow. "I was your apprentice before Will! I annoyed you at Gatherings, nearly shot you with an arrow once while training, and even embarrassed you in front of your wife, Lady Pauline. Come on, Halt, I'm not the enemy here!"

_Gilan, Will, Lady Pauline, apprentice... _Those words were jammed into my brain and I couldn't let them go, but I knew this was the enemy. After all, the Boss had said so. I swung again, but the man blocked. Eventually, I continued to swing and changed the speed until the man fell to the ground weaponless with my knife at his throat.

**(Will)**

My orders were to simply kill and that's what I was going to do. I was in the middle of the battle, cutting down anybody that stood in my way; I was unstoppable. Nothing ran through my mind as my knife sliced through flesh, one vitim after another. The hilt of the knife felt heavier with every drop of blood. Screams of both the living and the dying filled the atmosphere, not that I cared. I continued to swing the two knives in my hands, killing anybody within range. Finally, to my surprise, somebody managed to block one of my attacks. Quickly, I kicked the enemy in the kneecap, sending him to the ground. I swung the knife toward the man's heart, but a sword met the hilt of knife, blocking the blow. The man kicked me in the stomach, sending me back a few feet, and then rose to his feet. I had no emotion, so I felt nothing as I attacked. Then, the more tired I became, the more emotions I felt.

Finally, I realized who I was fighting.

**(Gilan)**

I stared at my mentor, my friend, as he held the long knife at my throat. My heart wouldn't believe my friend was going to kill me, but my brain said otherwise. An overwhelming sadness filled my heart because I knew Halt didn't know what he was doing, but I didn't shed any tears. I just stared into the eyes of my friend and upcoming murderer. Then a gleam of recognition shone in Halt's eyes. "Gilan?"

"Halt?" I asked, hoping this wasn't some trick and he was in his right mind again. "Are you okay?"

He looked at me, then at the knife and finally put it together. "They injected us with something." He put the knife down and held out his hand, "Sorry, Gilan." I grabbed his hand and let him help me to my feet. "What's going on here?"

"War." I stated simply.

"I know that, you idiot. What's the full story?" Halt said, annoyed.

In that moment, I knew Halt was back. I sighed in relief, then looked at my mentor with a serious look on my face. "Okay, you were captured a few weeks ago. Then, the enemy came and captured children and we were attacked last night without warning. Derrick told us the enemy plans and no we're here. They injected you all with something, but it must have only been temporary, and they used you to attack us. While you attacked us, you also used humans as shields, but they're all safe from what I've seen."

He nodded my hand in understanding, "You can give me the details later. Right now, we fight."

I smiled and picked my weapons off the ground, "Sounds good."

**(Horace)**

"Horace?" Will asked.

I sighed, "Thank the gods, Will. I knew if I had to block one more attack, I wasn't going to live."

"Okay, I can pretty much figure out what's going on, but tell me who the enemy is." Will stated.

"The same ones that captured you, but most of the Rangers have turned against them. We're winning now." I shook my head, "That's not important right now. We need to start fighting again and end this."

Before any of us could say anything else, thunder boomed in the distance. We both took this as a sign to attack the enemy.

**(Derrick)**

Finding the leader was easier than I expected, it only took a few threats to get the exact location. As I thought, the leader was in a place where he could see the fight surrounded by the top ranking fighters; he was on a small ridge overlooking the battle. Luckily, there were only three people surrounding the leader, which meant I only had to fight four people. In the distance, I realized most of the Rangers' were attacking my enemy now and I was glad they were in they're right minds again.

"This battle wasn't supposed to last this long! We were supposed to demolish everyone!" The enemy leader yelled to nobody but himself.

I walked toward him, "They won't give up easily."

He and his protectors looked at me, "Why aren't you fighting?" The leader asked.

"Let me rephrase my last statement. _We _won't give up easily." I pulled two saxe knives from my pocket and lunged at the leader, but one of the guards blocked my way. I swung the knife, left, right, left, and left again, finally managing to hit him in the temple with the knife hilt. As the man fell defeated, another attacked and managed to cut me on the arm. I felt blood trickle down my forearm and drip from my fingertips, but I still managed to fight. Then, before I knew what was happening, the third man attacked from behind, cutting a deep gash into my back. While I was distracted by the man behind me, the one in front of me cut a deep gash into my chest. The man behind me kicked me behind the knee, sending me to the ground. Briefly, I noticed rain began to fall and thunder rumbled above us. There were no more sounds of fighting and I wondered who won.

The leader glared at me. "This is all your fault! You told them our plans you traitor!" His voice was louder than the roaring thunder, and I saw his knife blade glint against the lightning. This was the only thing that saved me from having my throat slit. I jumped backward from my knees, missing the blade by a few centimeters. Qiuckly, I rose to my feet.

"I'm not a traitor to my country! I was never one of you!" I retorted.

The leader grinned, "You think you're a Ranger, kid? The way we trained you to fight went beyond any Ranger skills. We were training you to become an assassain! Do you really think you can be a Ranger when your skills lie somewhere else?"

"I don't kill people just to be killing!" I yelled. "I'm not an assassain!" With this, I attacked. The enemy leader was caught by surprise and I managed to cut his shoulder. The man hissed painfully, then swung his own knife at me while I was still in midair. I twisted my body, so the blade only cut my shirt. However, I landed wrong and my ankle twisted. A loud crack echoed in the atmosphere and pain shot through my ankle. Immediately, I felt sick and knew I fractured the bone, but I still rose to my feet, keeping my weight on my right side. The leader attacked again and I tried to dodge the attack, but the knife still cut my forehead, just above the eye. Blood dripped into my right eye and I blinked to try to see properly and the other two pinned my arms behind my back. I struggled, but they punched me in the head, making my vision fuzzy and my head swim. They lifted me to my feet and held me there. I finally stopped struggling and raised my head to look at the leader.

He grabbed me by the chin and lifted my head until my eyes were level with his. "There is no way I will let a child like you kill me." He raised his knife in the air and was ready to send it into my chest. However, I kicked the man beside me with my good leg, forcing him to let go of my arms. Then, I swung the other one in front of me as the blade came down. The leader stabbed his own guard in the neck, but he treated the man like he was simply an inconvenience. He pulled the blade out of the man's neck and attacked me once again. I grabbed one of my weapons off the ground and turned to meet his attack, but I was already off balance. When the leader saw this, he pushed against the knife, sending me to the muddy ground. Another lightning streak lit the air and I could see the man's face contorted in hate. He grabbed me by my neck and stabbed me in the stomach. First, a frigid coldness formed in my stomach around the wound. Then, came the pain. I gritted my teeth painfully as the knife was pushed deeper into the wound. The leader twisted the knife until I cried out in pain, blood flying from my mouth. He let go of the knife and stepped away from me, watching me writhe as I tried to find a way to escape the agony. I lifted my hand to the hilt and touched the leather material, wet and warm with my own blood. I let my head fall to the ground, allowing the rain to fall on my face. My eyes were closed and I realized it was becoming harder to breathe. The leader said something, but I couldn't understand him. Then, I remembered my conversation with Gilan._ He told me to make it back home, to my friends and family. _With newfound strenth, I managed to crawl slowly to my knees and pull the knife from my stomach. The leader was walking away from me and I knew he hadn't heard me stir. I stood as still as I could and threw the knife. Lightning streaked across the sky at the same moment the knife made contact with the enemy's head. He crumpled to the ground, dead. I grabbed my stomach and breathed as best as I could, glad it was over. Then, I slowly half walked, half stumbled in the direction my comrades were. I made my way down the path I had taken and finally made my way on the sidelines of the battlefield. I saw a large group of Araluen warriors and Rangers in the distance. I knew they couldn't see me, so I continued to walk. However, I was growing weaker with every step. My hearbeat was beginning to slow and it was getting more difficult to breathe. Still, I walked until I heard someone yell in alarm and I knew they saw me. I looked up to see a few people running at me; I stopped where I was, swaying. Then, I fell into my father's arms.

"Derrick... You're going to be okay." Father said as he put pressure on my knife wound.

I wanted to believe him, but the pain was just too much. Lighting lit up the sky again and I was able to see who was around me: father, mother, Halt, Gilan, Horace, and even Melody. I smiled, everyone I fought to protect was there. I swallowed the blood that rose into the back of my throat and I could hear my own heartbeat. _Thump... thump... thump... thump... thump... _It was an awful sound and I didn't want to hear it. My eyes began to close and father shook my shoulders to get me to stay awake, but it wasn't working. I closed my eyes and heard my heartbeat. _Thump... thump... thump... th-um... th-um... thump..._

***Three Weeks Later***

**(Melody)**

The days after the battle was rough and tragic. A lot of people I knew and loved died. Funerals were held nearly everyday, most of the bodies cremated. I sat on a bank overlooking a creek and grieved for all the lives lost. A few seconds later, a hand rested on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, "It's hard, loosing someone you have known for years."

He sat down beside me, "I know. He was my friend, too. But he died to protect this kingdom."

"I understand that, but it still hurts." I stated. "He didn't deserve to die, none of them did."

He hugged me gently, "Remember how they lived, not how they died. He was one of my best friends and I know he died content with the way he lived."

A tear slipped down my cheek, "It's like everybody I knew has just left."

He made me look up at him, "I lived just to be with you, my friends, and my family. I won't leave you just yet." His lips met mine and I felt my sad emotions and thoughts slip away. He pulled away, "I nearly died and I came back for you and the others. I came back because I love you."

I smiled at my lifelong friend and love of my life, but our moment was cut short by a man yelling for him in the distance. He smiled and kissed me one more time, this time, acting like he could stay in this moment forever, not that I would complain. I laughed, pulled away, and put my hand on his chest. "You better go."

He smiled, "Yeah, or my mentor will die of impatience." He rose to his feet, "I'll see you later."

"Definately. Now, don't keep Gilan waiting. After all, I hear Ranger's are very impatient." I smiled, joking with him.

"You're right about that." He said and ran away as Gilan called for him again. I smiled as I watched the Ranger's apprentice, Derrick Treaty, disappear beyond the trees.

**A/N: So, this is the final chapter. Did you like it? Hate it? Should I do a sequel? Will I get feedback?**


	9. AN: Sequel Now Published!

**A/N: Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know I posted the sequel! It is called ****One Man Condemned****! If you enjoyed ****One Man Army****, go check it out! My writing skills have improved since I wrote ****One Man Army****, so I believe this one will be much longer and better than the last! Please review it, too! It really motivates me!**

**-Wolf**


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